any thoughts on e-readers? any of them, not just kindle

[severous01]

i have an app on my phone that allows me to read just about any e-reader file, e-pubs or what not and it's called akido or something like that. i also have the kindle app on my evo-4g. i've been doing some research on pricing and it seems like the prices are similar in books/e-books. so, my question is. with the apps on the phone, and apps for a computer, is it worth it to start buying e-books now and read them on my phone and puter....and possibly a kindle or similar later.

i am not willing to spend the 150 bux on a reader if the prices of e-books are only about $.50 cheaper than a book. i'll have to buy 300 books to save that money back and i just dont read that much. plus, i almost never go back and read a book again....other than R. A. Salvatore's books...but it's not worth holding onto a book, but if i had a file i could save it wherever i wanted to. on my computer, phone, sd card, shared storage drive...wherever.

so, is it worth buying an e-book to read on a computer/phone or should i just stick with the old paper-backs???

[CTScott]

My wife has been using a Kindle for just over two years and has read more than 80 books on it. She finds that the big savings are on newly released books (where you pay $9.99 for the ebook, rather than $20+ for the hardcover). With Kindle you can use many devices with one account, so using her account, I can read any of her purchases on my iPhone, iPad or PC.

[fnkngrv]

I picked up one of the Kobo eReaders and was so disappointed. It is very slow and when you attempt to view PDFs they just don't function properly. The zoom function is horrible and the scrolling caused is horrendous. I returned it the next week.

[ddongbap]

The Kindle's color setup was designed for reading at long periods of time. A bright screen like ones on an iPad kinda doesn't go too well.

[nemelek]

Got my wife a Kindle for her birthday. She loves it. I saw an artical in Popular Science on a way to reprogram a Nook. It can become more than a reader.

[frownonfun]

I think if you don't read all that often then your money could be better spent somewhere else. Paperbacks are super cheap at places like amazon.com and a good place to check for new releases is your local library... especially if you aren't a person to re-read a book.

Anyway that's my take on it. I think the Nook and Kindle look pretty sweet but at the same time I feel that I'm kinda like the OP in that I probably don't read THAT much. Plus I worry I'd end up breaking one of those things somehow.

[Shroomster]

stick with your app versions. they're free and easy to use, plus it's an app, not a single, pre-defined function device.

[severous01]

well, i bought a book because it was really cheap. 89cents. and it's part of one of my series i'm reading. awesome deal i say.

the phone app is ok, i can use it just about anywhere. all i need to update my bookmark is a signal...cool. the computer app is better, i can copy, highlight, get definitions on the spot. that's awesome. plus, my bookmarks automatically sync when i close the application either on pc or phone.

so, i'm happy with the app and if i get into it i'll buy a kindle when they cheap or if i can find one local/used.

[bobselectric]

i got my kindle as an early christmas present last year and i already have 170 books read- 75% mystery/thriller, 20% history, biography, current events, 5% sci-fi.
The kindle is an awesome reader because #1, the screen isn't backlit, so it's just like reading a book page, and #2, you can purchase books anytime, anywhere.
Most books are 9.99 and below- newest releases sell for more- up to 20 bucks, but most in the 13-15 range (the new Tom Clancy and Vince Flynn). The price is set by the publisher, not amazon. There are also millions of free titles, from classics to newly published to chose from. most books that are in paperback print runs sell for 8 bucks or less- again the newest titles are 8, and most are in the 4-6 dollar range. You can also sample the book, usually the first chapter or two and decide if you like.
E-readers in general are more eco friendly- no need to cut down trees, unfortunately though you don't get the "book" smell

[frownonfun]

Originally Posted by bobselectric

i got my kindle as an early christmas present last year and i already have 170 books read- 75% mystery/thriller, 20% history, biography, current events, 5% sci-fi.
The kindle is an awesome reader because #1, the screen isn't backlit, so it's just like reading a book page, and #2, you can purchase books anytime, anywhere.
Most books are 9.99 and below- newest releases sell for more- up to 20 bucks, but most in the 13-15 range (the new Tom Clancy and Vince Flynn). The price is set by the publisher, not amazon. There are also millions of free titles, from classics to newly published to chose from. most books that are in paperback print runs sell for 8 bucks or less- again the newest titles are 8, and most are in the 4-6 dollar range. You can also sample the book, usually the first chapter or two and decide if you like.
E-readers in general are more eco friendly- no need to cut down trees, unfortunately though you don't get the "book" smell

yeah the book smell and feel is what i think i'd kinda miss. but you're so right about the eco friendliness. i'm no tree hugger but i have amassed a collection of books far too large for what little storage space i have. and on the amazon thing i was more referring to used books than brand new ones. unless it's an author i particularly love, i'm all about some used books.

[severous01]

ok, i dont care about the 'new book smell' lol. ok, it's nice, nostalgic, awesome to just be able to pick something up and read it...

but i've bought 2 books now in less than a week. i jsut have soo much more opportunity to read and have it available when i want. i'm not a fast reader, but i usually read when i'm on my way to bed, getting settled. now its like every time i sit still for more than a minute i turn on the phone and put away a few chapters. or when i'm waiting on someone in the car or wherever i'm sittin still...it's awesome.

and , if i ever get a kindle i'll already have the books.

[MarshmallowYaris]

I love my Barnes & Noble Nook. It's so much slicker with its touch-screen nav compared to that stubby Kindle keyboard, and it's got a great screen. I love that with open-source files I can check out e-books from my local library for free and read them on my Nook. You can't do that with a Kindle, and it's one of the main reasons I made the choice in the first place. Never regretted it.

[sickpuppy1]

I got an app for my netbook and another for screen orientation, so I just use it. My Eeepc from Asus has a batterylife of 10+ hours before it need a charge and I set up a seperate profile for when I read with it to keep the screen at about 50% brightness and shuts off the harddrive after 2 minutes. You can put an entire book in ram so the harddrive isnt needed for reading, only for storage. This will extend battery life into the 13+ hour range. Both apps were free so all i have is book cost and I found alot for FREE books too! I can set it so the screen rotates 90degrees so I hold it just like a book, if I feel so inclined